


you mean world to me

by mrocznoduszki



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Multi, from enemies to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:35:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24829201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrocznoduszki/pseuds/mrocznoduszki
Summary: Zuko and Aang break away from perfect life to find out if they are worth being benders.And if the world they know is real.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Kudos: 3





	you mean world to me

Sometimes universe has its ways to work things out.  
But it isn't always the best path to choose. 

Aang sighed heavily, when he glanced at his partner. The weather was perfect, they couldn't complain about anything, they owned everything and yet...  
"What are you thinking about?" Seventeen years old shrugged shoulders, unsure what to say, when older boy nodded in understanding. After death of his parents, Zuko started to be more than just a friend to Aang and now they were inseperable.  
Especially in this golden cage.  
" I just wish we could leave the palace, you know? To see world outside it, explore and just..."  
"Live." Zuko finished, when he sighed heavily. Aang knew it wasn't prince's fault, but still it was tiring to just sit still all day and be stuck on endless social meetings.  
Especially when we were supposed to find their element.  
Every year thousands of young people travelled to sacred land, Tongyi, where primal element masters choose next benders. Lately only few people had come back from this trip and since the disagreement between Southern Nation and West was getting more heated, Zuko's uncle and Aang's guardian decided it would be best if they stayed in capital.  
And never find out if they are worth being benders or not.  
Frustrated growl left Aang's lips, when he stood up to take a look around. Perfect palace, ideal servants and remarkable architecture of Ishtah and yet they both felt suffocating. If only there was a way to just escape and...  
"Aang, why are you smiling so creepy? Are you planning to set something on fire again?" Zuko also raised from his seat, with worry painted on his face when he starred at bold boy who finally faced him, grinning widely.  
"What would you say, Zuko, if we went for a short trip?" 

"This is frustrating." Katara kicked a small marble stone which unfortunately happened to hit dark head laying on the ground.  
"Hey, watch what you are doing, Princess!" Northern Princess sticked out her tongue, but knew it was pointless, because her conserver was blind and couldn't see what she was doing, which sometimes happen to be actually positive.  
But not when they were hungry and couldn't find anything to eat.  
"I'm staaarving!" Sokka, Katara's brother, complained when he laid down on the grass next to small Earthbender who happened to be travelling with them to Tongyi, which was still days away. Katara wasn't sure if the better idea would have been if they had actually listened to their father and travel on polar dogs but then again the weather was so hot here, almost like they were cooking in the volcano.  
Which wasn't far from truth, because they were on Southern Nation territory, where most of the people were firebenders.  
Katara had to admit that she hated and feared them at the same time because of what they had done to some water tribes which she originated from. Even though some of the events had taken place years before she was born, the memory of it was still fresh in everyone's mind and it was hard to ignore it.  
"I couldn't find anything better than this." The lanky posture covered brightly shining moon for second before took a seat next to Katara with loud sigh. Sokka didn't seem to disapprove of the choice, because he quickly rose to start the fire to prepare the killed chicken. Katara and girl sighed loudly in synch, when they watched boy do victory dance of happiness.  
"I can't stand him."  
"Then maybe trying sitting? Oh, wait, you already are." Earthbender smirked, when lanky girl rolled her eyes with annoyance before noticing drop of blood on her clothes which she quickly wiped off.  
"I swear to heavens, one day I will push her off the cliff."  
"But then who would protect you from thieves, hmm?" Topf smirked, pleased with herself when she reached Sokka's side and helped him to finally start the fire. Despite late hour, the air was heavy and Katara could feel her whole body melting. Oh, how she missed North....  
"Don't worry, we will get there soon." Katara nodded in agreement, smiling warmly at Vari, who they also happened to meet on their way. Princess didn't know much about the girl, but she seemed to be wild spirit, living of small thefts or burglaries. Even though, she didn't advocate that, she could see from where Vari was coming from. She basically raised herself after her parents had died shortly after her 4th birthday. Since then there was no one would watch girl and Katara found it devastating, knowing herself how much losing a parent felt.  
"These woods creep me out." Vari nodded in understanding when she looked around, watching for any sign of disturb.  
"Soon we should reach cities, it will be easier to travel then."  
"Unless Southern Nation soldiers kill us." Topf pointed out but before Katara could react, she heard...  
"Who was that?" Vari was immediately on her feet, with sword in her hand when she scanned the bushes in search of owner of the voice. Katara shivered slightly, unsure what to do, but finally she also brought out her danger and with stern look on her face gave the other girl familiar signal. Vari didn't waste a second, when she quickly ran away into the darkness, without difficulty flying from tree to tree when...  
"Katara, come here!" Princess rushed to the direction from where Vari's voice was coming from when... 

"H-hey." Aang chuckled, with sweat dripping from his forehead when he tried to put his best smile, despite long sword under his throat. The girl holding it didn't seem to even flinch when suddenly Zuko showed up behind her, unfortunately unarmed.  
"Leave him alone!"  
"What are you doing here?" She ignored Zuko's cry when she starred deeply into Aang's eyes with indifferent expression on tanned skin. He had never come across anyone with such piercing gold eyes and before he could stop himself, he said:  
"Wow, your eyes."  
"What is with her eyes?" Aang flinched, suprised to see another girl by his side.  
And then his world literally stopped.  
Because he saw the most beautiful girl in the world.  
"You are so pretty." He mumbled in shock, but apparently not quiet enough because girl heard it and even in weak light of the moon he could see her cheeks turned red. The lanky warrior with sword sent both of them confused look before she sighed heavily and finally backed up, allowing Aang to breathe freely.  
" I still want to know why you were spying on us." She hold sword on the lenght when Zuko tried to reach Aang's side. Frustrated, prince sent girl angry look which didn't bother her even any the slightest, when she glanced back at Aang and dark haired goddess who with slight worry painted on beautiful face touched Aang's arm, where was small cut, making boy shiver.  
Because that touch... was electrifying, almost like he was hit by the lighting.  
And those eyes... those beautiful deep blue eyes Aang could drown forever...  
"Vari, did you hurt him?" The lanky girl seemed to be offended when she rolled her eyes with annoyance.  
"Who do you think I am, Katara?"  
"Completely crazy witch!" Zuko's scream brought Aang back to the reality when he quickly stood in front of his friend before sword girl would slice him, with fire dancing in golden eyes.  
"What he meant was completely... compatible of fighting warrior! Hahah, that's right." He chuckled nervously when he watched girls having glance argument before the sword was finally put down.  
"It's good that he has someone like you to protect him, because otherwise..." Vari girl clicked her tongue, when she hid sword in the cover before she faced the goddess Aang couldn't keep eyes from.  
"Let's go, they are as dangerous as fly."  
"Hey, that's not true, we are Prin..." Aang covered Zuko's mouth before he could finish what he was about to say. Even though they were still in Southern Nation, it was clear these girls were from different lands and Aang had heard enough of their talk to know they didn't share warm feelings toward his people.  
And somehow it filled his heart with sadness and worry because still after such long time, mistakes made by the ancestors still weren't forgiven.  
"We are just regular travellers from Prihano." Aang chuckled when he rubbed his neck awkwardly, seeing that girls didn't buy it. However, they didn't say anything when turned on the heel, ready to leave.  
And that filled Aang's heart with fear.  
"Hey, wait!" Deep blue eyes starred at him curiously and Aang tried his best not to blush, when he cleared his throat awkwardly.  
"C-can we maybe j-join you...please?"  
"Sure!" Sword girl was of different opinion when she shot her friend suprised look, before finally shrugging shoulders.  
"I guess I can babysit you too."  
"Now, let's go before that idiot eats whole supper."

Zuko was ashamed of how things turned out. After they ran away from palace, without any logical plan, they were wandering for few days before they finally decided to camp somewhere. Of course, neither of them knew to start fire or find food in the wild so once they sensed familar warmth of campfire and smell of cooked meat, they had to check.  
And now he had to watch Aang make puppy eyes to random girl he had just met in the forest.  
Not like he didn't understand, because he did. Most of the time they were stuck with guards and kids of important politicians so it was hard to find someone completely normal. No wonder Aang had fallen head over heels for this pretty stranger, who seemed to also stare at Aang few seconds too long to make it look accidential.  
Thought of his little brother finding a soulmate brought smile on Zuko's lips, which quickly faded away when he noticed posture next to him.  
For unknown reason the girl brought the worst emotions out of him and no, it wasn't only because she basically belittled them and believed that he couldn't fight, when in fact he could. No, it was something else, something he couldn't put finger onto...  
"I will poke your eyes out if you don't stop starring." She took a look at herself in a dager she was polishing before she finally shot Zuko warning look. Now, in light of campfire Zuko could clearly see her skin was little bit different tone that rest of the group and also clothing seemed to mix of Western and Southern style. She seemed completely out of pocket and her presence didn't fill him with supposed security and peace especially when...  
"Where did you get that?" She hissed when he tried to pull it out and moved away, quickly hiding item into pockets of her coat.  
"It's mine, back off!"  
"It's not yours! It's Southern Nation's prince crown!" The one he had lost years ago, back then when his father still had ruled the kingdom and everything seemed so terrifying.  
Apperently, he hadn't really lost it.  
"How do you have it? Hey, give it back!" Girl jumped from her seat and to Zuko's annoyance started to run away. Rest of the group seemed to be suprised with what they were doing, when starred as Zuko and Vari chased around the fireplace before girl finally stopped, making prince fall into her arms or rather crash with her on the ground.  
"Give it back." Zuko snapped, feeling hot breath of thief on his cheek when girl frowned.  
"No way, I worked hard to get this!"  
'You stole it, it's no work!" Zuko tried to reach crown in her hand but she was faster and managed to roll to be on top of him.  
"I don't want to say anything, but...?"  
"Then don't say anything, Sokka." Girl snapped, when she quickly rose from the ground, clearly embarassed to realise how close they were. Zuko mumbled something under his breath, but he knew that for now he couldn't take the crown without saying who they really were. Instead he needed to wait for her to fall asleep and then... 

Vari didn't like the fact that Katara seemed to lose her mind, talking whole night to this new guy, whose eyes were bigger than five semis coings whenever he watched the princess. Vari wasn't sure how, but she could tell he was also as awkward in social contact as Katara and it made her wonder who he really was.  
But this was just one of her problems. This psycho wanted to steal one of her best deals and she wouldn't allow it to happen. He might be strong and few inches taller than she, but it didn't mean she couldn't deal with him.  
So when suddenly she heard slight move by her side, she didn't even flinch, when she pressed cold danger on his throat, feeling suddenly heat rushing through her body.  
"Let it go if you still want to have head." She warned, but the boy didn't move, with dark eyes still glued to her. Their intimacy was too close to tag it as appropriate, but Vari couldn't care less, she was not letting go of that crown. That's why she pressed the danger a little bit closer, just to prove him she wasn't joking. The single drop of blood fell on her cheek, when she watched varierty of expressions cross boy's face before he finally released fingers from the gold object.  
"S-stop..." He spluttered, before she finally brought her hand down to see few more drops on her dager.  
"You're psycho." Vari shrugged her shoulders, unbottered by this statement when she brought crown close to her chest and rolled back to sleep. She heard boy standing up and leaving her side and despite her greatest wish, couldn't fall asleep afterward.  
Because maybe he was right.  
Maybe she was going insane again.


End file.
